Thin underwater cables hold the internet. See a map of them all.

Summary

The internet, often thought of as residing in the cloud, is actually supported by 300 undersea fiber optic cables that facilitate 99% of global data traffic. These cables, smaller than a soda can, are protected by layers including petroleum jelly and are laid using a simple yet complex process involving ships and ocean currents. Despite innovations like Facebook's satellites and Google's balloons, undersea cables remain the backbone for international connectivity, a tradition dating back to the 1858 Atlantic crossing and evolving from early telegraph experiments.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The internet relies heavily on undersea fiber optic cables, which handle 99% of international data traffic.
• 🌊 These cables are the modern equivalent of the terrestrial connections, but they run underwater instead of underground.
• 📡 They enable global connectivity, such as streaming content like PewDiePie's videos from Europe to America and connecting stock traders across different continents.
• 🔌 Despite their critical role, these cables are relatively small, about the size of a soda can.
• 🛡️ The cables have several protective layers, including petroleum jelly, to safeguard them from water damage.
• ⚠️ They are susceptible to damage from natural disasters like earthquakes and occasionally from marine life, such as sharks.
• 🐋 Many cables are laid at depths where they are less likely to be disturbed by sea life or human activity.
• 🚢 The cables are installed using a plow that digs a shallow groove in the ocean floor, and then they are naturally covered by sand due to ocean currents.
• 📈 The process of laying these cables is both simple and complex, yet it's essential for the global internet network.
• 📱 While there are experimental alternatives like satellites and balloons for internet connectivity, undersea cables remain the backbone for fast international data transfer.
• ⏳ The concept of undersea communication dates back to 1858 with the first transatlantic cable, showing a long history of innovation in this field.

Q & A

What is the primary medium for international data transmission?

The primary medium for international data transmission is undersea fiber optic cables, which are responsible for 99% of international data traffic.

How many undersea fiber optic cables are there, and what percentage of international data do they handle?

There are about 300 undersea fiber optic cables that handle 99% of international data traffic.

What is the physical size of an undersea cable, and what is it protected by?

An undersea cable is no bigger than a soda can and is protected by a few layers, including petroleum jelly.

Why are undersea cables vulnerable to earthquakes?

Undersea cables are vulnerable to earthquakes because seismic activity can disrupt or damage the cables, affecting data transmission.

Have there been instances where sharks have bitten undersea cables?

Yes, there have been at least a few instances where confused sharks have bitten undersea cables.

How deep do undersea cables go underwater, and why?

In some places, undersea cables go as deep underwater as Mount Everest is high to avoid sea life and reduce the risk of damage.

What is the process of laying an undersea cable on the ocean floor?

A ship lowers a plow that digs a tiny groove in the ocean floor, lays the cable in, and it's naturally buried by sand due to the ocean's current.

How long has the concept of undersea communication cables been around?

The concept of undersea communication cables has been around for 157 years, starting with electric telegraphs in the early 1800s.

What was the first material used to protect undersea cables, and how has it evolved?

The first material used to protect undersea cables was exotic tree sap. It has evolved to petroleum jelly and other protective layers in modern cables.

How do modern undersea cables connect the world, and what is the speed of this connection?

Modern undersea cables connect the world by being unwound from the back of a ship, sinking to the ocean floor, and enabling data transmission at speeds measured in milliseconds.

What are some alternative methods to undersea cables for providing internet access, and how do they compare?

Alternative methods include internet beamed from Facebook satellites to Africa and Google's internet balloons. However, for speedy international data transmission, undersea cables are still preferred by companies like Facebook and Google due to their reliability and speed.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Internet's Undersea Backbone

This paragraph introduces the critical role of undersea fiber optic cables in global internet connectivity. It explains that approximately 300 such cables carry 99% of international data traffic, functioning similarly to how data is transmitted within a country, but underwater. The paragraph also highlights the cables' vulnerability to natural disasters and accidental damage, such as earthquakes and shark bites, and describes the simple yet complex process of laying these cables on the ocean floor. The historical context is provided, dating back 157 years to the use of electric telegraphs and the progression to undersea cables, which initially used tree sap for protection. The summary underscores the enduring significance of these cables in facilitating rapid, global internet communication.

Keywords

💡Undersea fiber optic cables

Undersea fiber optic cables are the physical infrastructure that facilitates the transmission of data across the world's oceans. They are essential for international communication, allowing for the exchange of information at high speeds. In the video, it is mentioned that these cables are responsible for 99% of international data traffic, highlighting their critical role in the global internet network. The script uses the example of transmitting content like PewDiePie's videos from Europe to America and connecting stock traders in New York and London.

💡Petroleum jelly

Petroleum jelly, commonly known as Vaseline, is used as a protective layer on undersea fiber optic cables. It serves to prevent water damage to the cables, ensuring their longevity and reliability. The video script humorously notes that the internet is 'covered in Vaseline,' emphasizing the mundane yet vital role of this material in maintaining global connectivity.

💡Earthquakes

Earthquakes pose a significant threat to undersea fiber optic cables, as they can cause physical damage that disrupts data transmission. The video script mentions that earthquakes are one of the natural hazards that these cables must withstand, illustrating the challenges of maintaining a global network in the face of natural disasters.

💡Ocean floor

The ocean floor is the natural environment where undersea fiber optic cables are laid. The video describes the process of laying these cables, which involves ships creating a small groove in the ocean floor and then burying the cable, which is later covered by sand due to ocean currents. This process is crucial for the protection and stability of the cables.

💡Global network

A global network refers to the interconnected system of communication channels that span the world, enabling the exchange of data and information across countries and continents. The video script emphasizes that undersea fiber optic cables are the backbone of the internet, making the internet a truly global network by connecting different parts of the world at speeds measured in milliseconds.

💡Submarine cables

Submarine cables are the historical predecessors to modern undersea fiber optic cables. They were used to transmit telegraph signals under the ocean, predating the current internet infrastructure. The video script mentions that the first experiments with submarine cables used exotic tree sap for protection, highlighting the evolution of technology from early telegraph systems to today's high-speed data transmission.

💡Internet in the cloud

The phrase 'internet in the cloud' is a metaphorical way of describing the internet as a vast, seemingly intangible space where data is stored and processed. The video script challenges this notion by pointing out that the internet is actually physically present in the ocean, through the undersea fiber optic cables that connect different parts of the world.

💡Data traffic

Data traffic refers to the flow of information, such as emails, videos, and web pages, across the internet. The video script states that undersea fiber optic cables are responsible for 99% of international data traffic, underscoring their importance in the modern digital world.

💡Telegraphs

Telegraphs are an early form of electronic communication that transmitted messages over long distances using electrical signals. The video script discusses the history of telegraphs, which laid the groundwork for the development of undersea cables and, eventually, the modern internet.

💡Facebook satellites and Google balloons

Facebook satellites and Google balloons are examples of alternative methods for providing internet access, particularly in remote or underserved areas. The video script mentions these technologies as part of the ongoing innovation in global connectivity, but notes that undersea cables remain the preferred method for fast international data transmission.

💡Cloud

In the context of the video, 'the cloud' refers to the virtual space where data is stored and processed, rather than on a local device. The video script humorously suggests that the best way to create the cloud is by going under the sea, referring to the undersea fiber optic cables that form the physical infrastructure of the internet.

Highlights

99% of international data traffic is transmitted through about 300 undersea fiber optic cables.

Undersea cables connect different continents, enabling global internet access.

These cables are the backbone of the internet, despite being no bigger than a soda can.

Protection for undersea cables includes petroleum jelly, which is used to shield them from water.

Undersea cables are vulnerable to natural events like earthquakes and accidental damage from sea life.

Cables are laid at depths where they are naturally buried by sand due to ocean currents.

The process of laying undersea cables is both simple and complex, crucial for the global internet network.

The concept of undersea communication dates back 157 years to the electric telegraphs.

Early telegraph experiments connected locations using a clock mechanism to reveal letters.

Underwater 'submarine cables' were an inevitable progression from land-based telegraph networks.

First undersea cables were coated with tree sap for protection instead of petroleum jelly.

Despite initial setbacks, by 1858 undersea cables spanned the Atlantic and other parts of the world.

Cables are unwound from ships, sink to the ocean floor, and connect the world in milliseconds.

Alternatives to undersea cables, like internet beamed from satellites or lifted by balloons, are being explored.

For international data speed, undersea cables remain the preferred method for tech giants like Facebook and Google.

The audacious idea of creating the cloud involves going under the sea with undersea cables.

Transcripts

We never stop hearing about how the internet's in the cloud.

But really, it's in the ocean.

About 300 undersea fiber optic cables are responsible for 99% of international data

traffic.

It's basically the same way we connect to each other in a single country, except under

water instead of underground.

They transmit PewDiePie from Europe to America and they connect stock traders in New York

and London.

And these cables, placed by private companies, are the backbone of the internet, but if you

held one in your hand it'd be no bigger than a soda can.

There are just a few layers of protection from the water, including petroleum jelly

(yes, your internet is covered in Vaseline).

They're vulnerable to earthquakes,

at least a few times, confused sharks have bitten them.

But many cables are beneath sea life, because in some places they go as deep underwater

as Mount Everest is high.

Ships lower a plow that digs a tiny groove in the ocean floor, lay in the cable, and

it's naturally buried by sand, thanks to the ocean's current.

And that process -- it's both stunningly simple and mindblowingly complex -- is responsible

for making the internet a truly global network.

It's an idea so audacious and crazy, and you think that it has to be cutting edge.

And it is.

But it's also been going on for 157 years.

Electric telegraphs have been around for a long, long time.

Experiments in the early 1800s connected two ends of a garden, using a clock that revealed

letters, then they moved on to

two neighborhoods, to help signal trains, and then multiple cities, thanks to the network

of railroad lines.

Underwater "submarine cables" were an obvious next step.

So they played around.

Instead of petroleum jelly, the first ones were coated with exotic tree sap to protect

them from the water.

And though the undersea cables came in spurts -- one of the first ones was knocked out of

commission by a fishing boat --

and by 1858 they reached around the Atlantic and across the world.

And that's how it's kind of gone since, laying cables that circle the earth's oceans.

The cables are unwound from the back of a ship, sink to the ocean floor, and the world

is connected in speeds measured in milliseconds.

There are ideas to bring the internet above sea level.

Along with cell phone towers, there's internet beamed from

Facebook satellites to Africa and balloons lifted by Google.

But for speedy international travel, undersea cables are still where companies like Facebook

and Google place their bets.

That's because the best way to create the cloud is still by going under the sea.